145 literature,which provides the basis for choosing a research lish innovative experimental units of personnel category topic.Generally speaking,graduate students choose their and structure,personnel training models,education man- research topics based on the following considerations:(i) agement systems,and operating mechanisms and to train topics supported by local or central government;(ii)topics professional biotechnology personnel of various kinds. supported by enterprises;(iil)topics with great prospects The training base has mainly followed three responsibili- determined by post-graduate students or mentors;(iv)top- ties.(i)Starting from the autumn semester of 2002,exper- ics with scientific cooperation of some domestic and in- iments will be gradually introduced into the universities ternational institutes with advanced research facilities. where the training base is located to set up life science subjects for non-life science majors.(ii)The training base BIOTECHNOLOGY-RELATED EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONS will train teachers in life science for colleges and universi- Since being founded in June 1993,the Chinese Society ties.(iii)According to the national core teacher training of Biotechnology has established the bridge between en- plan,the training base will also train teachers of life sci- terprises and institutions in the Chinese biotechnology ence courses from western China in the advanced knowl- field.Since that time,societies of biotechnology of indi- edge in modern life sciences. vidual provinces were set up gradually.Currently,there are From the end of the 20th century to the early 21st five professional committees under the Chinese Society of century,Chinese national publishing companies have Biotechnology:Medicine Biotechnology,Agriculture Bio- translated and published a large number of textbooks and technology,Industry and Environment Biotechnology, monographs dealing with each field of biotechnology,in- Ocean Biotechnology,and Carbohydrates Technology. cluding plant biotechnology,animal biotechnology,medi- Each year,they organize programs at domestic and inter- cine biotechnology,and environment biotechnology.The national colleges and universities,research institutes,and China 863 Biology High Tech Series consists of 14 books related enterprises to discuss the education of China bio- with a total investment of 500,000 RMB (about 62421.97 technology students,develop strategies for science re- U.S.dollars),which have been compiled by dozens of search and industry development,and coordinate and solve national scientists who were called together by Science the issues that have occurred during the development. Press in China.The series has summarized the latest de- In recent years,Chinese biotechnology and industry velopment of the current life technology field and fore- have made significant progress.As the only member from casted the development of biotechnology.According to developing countries,China participated in the interna- incomplete statistics,56 types of biotechnology books tional Human Genome Project and accomplished 1%of were compiled and published by Science Press only from sequencing work [18];drafted the sequence of the rice 1998 to 2004,including 51 books about molecular biology, genome independently [19];positioned and cloned genes 24 books about genetics,41 books about general biology, that caused hereditary diseases such as neuropathic high 38 books about biochemistry,and 22 books about cell frequency deafness gene for the first time [20];and char- biology.Among numerous books marked by biotechnol- acterized p16,the core gene causing human cell aging ogy,the earliest and most widely used books were Intro- [21].Chinese scientists have sequenced rice chromosome duction to Biotechnology,which was compiled by Siyang number 4 and 60,000 rice genes as a participant in the Song and Shilin Louin [35]and published in 1999,and international rice genome project [22,23]. Modern Biotechnology Outline,which was compiled by In the agricultural biotechnology field,Chinese research- Lijia Qu,Hongya Gu,and Ping Hu [36].The former was ers played a leading role in the international establishment widely used in public courses in universities and was re- of two-line hybrid rice technology,which has been widely edited respectively in 2001 and 2004 [28].In addition, introduced and adopted throughout the country 24].In- Chemical Industry Press also published the Modern Bio- sect-resistant cotton research and application have technology Series,especially the China Biotechnology In- reached the world's most advanced level,enabling China dustry Development Report(2002,2003),which has re- to be the second country in the world that owns independ- flected the current basic development status of China ent intellectual property for breeding insect-resistant cot- biotechnology and given impetus to the development of ton [25].In the medical biotechnology field,Chinese re- biotechnology education [29,30]. searchers have developed more than 150 biomedicines that have been adopted in clinical research [26].China has FUNDING OF BIOTECHNOLOGY also successfully cloned animals such as sheep and cows Since the establishment of the 863 program in 1986. [27],placing China among the most advanced countries in biotechnology has been listed as a key project to be pursued animal biotechnology. in the science and technology area for three continuous In 1995,the Chinese government focused on investing Five-Year Plans (1986-2000)from the seventh Five-Year and developing 100 colleges and universities in China by Plan(1986-1990)to the ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000) the Chinese Key Projects (the so-called 211 Project)to (The first,second,third,forth,fifth,and sixth Five-Year meet the needs of China for higher education and science Plans are from1953to1957,1958to1962,1966to1970, and technology in 21st century.The Senior Education 1971 to 1975,1976 to 1980,and 1981 to 1985,respec- Department of the Ministry of Education has set up a Life tively.)The Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC) Science and Technology Personnel Training Base in 36 also supports important basic research in biotechnology. universities including Peking University,Tsinghua Univer- For example,in the life science department of the NSFC sity,Fudan University,Shanghai Jiao Tong University,and Committee,molecular mechanism and gene regulation in Beijing Normal University to conduct,reform,and estab- development,structure and function of genome in eu-literature, which provides the basis for choosing a research topic. Generally speaking, graduate students choose their research topics based on the following considerations: (i) topics supported by local or central government; (ii) topics supported by enterprises; (iii) topics with great prospects determined by post-graduate students or mentors; (iv) top￾ics with scientific cooperation of some domestic and in￾ternational institutes with advanced research facilities. BIOTECHNOLOGY-RELATED EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONS Since being founded in June 1993, the Chinese Society of Biotechnology has established the bridge between en￾terprises and institutions in the Chinese biotechnology field. Since that time, societies of biotechnology of indi￾vidual provinces were set up gradually. Currently, there are five professional committees under the Chinese Society of Biotechnology: Medicine Biotechnology, Agriculture Bio￾technology, Industry and Environment Biotechnology, Ocean Biotechnology, and Carbohydrates Technology. Each year, they organize programs at domestic and inter￾national colleges and universities, research institutes, and related enterprises to discuss the education of China bio￾technology students, develop strategies for science re￾search and industry development, and coordinate and solve the issues that have occurred during the development. In recent years, Chinese biotechnology and industry have made significant progress. As the only member from developing countries, China participated in the interna￾tional Human Genome Project and accomplished 1% of sequencing work [18]; drafted the sequence of the rice genome independently [19]; positioned and cloned genes that caused hereditary diseases such as neuropathic high frequency deafness gene for the first time [20]; and char￾acterized p16, the core gene causing human cell aging [21]. Chinese scientists have sequenced rice chromosome number 4 and 60,000 rice genes as a participant in the international rice genome project [22, 23]. In the agricultural biotechnology field, Chinese research￾ers played a leading role in the international establishment of two-line hybrid rice technology, which has been widely introduced and adopted throughout the country [24]. In￾sect-resistant cotton research and application have reached the world’s most advanced level, enabling China to be the second country in the world that owns independ￾ent intellectual property for breeding insect-resistant cot￾ton [25]. In the medical biotechnology field, Chinese re￾searchers have developed more than 150 biomedicines that have been adopted in clinical research [26]. China has also successfully cloned animals such as sheep and cows [27], placing China among the most advanced countries in animal biotechnology. In 1995, the Chinese government focused on investing and developing 100 colleges and universities in China by the Chinese Key Projects (the so-called 211 Project) to meet the needs of China for higher education and science and technology in 21st century. The Senior Education Department of the Ministry of Education has set up a Life Science and Technology Personnel Training Base in 36 universities including Peking University, Tsinghua Univer￾sity, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Beijing Normal University to conduct, reform, and estab￾lish innovative experimental units of personnel category and structure, personnel training models, education man￾agement systems, and operating mechanisms and to train professional biotechnology personnel of various kinds. The training base has mainly followed three responsibili￾ties. (i) Starting from the autumn semester of 2002, exper￾iments will be gradually introduced into the universities where the training base is located to set up life science subjects for non-life science majors. (ii) The training base will train teachers in life science for colleges and universi￾ties. (iii) According to the national core teacher training plan, the training base will also train teachers of life sci￾ence courses from western China in the advanced knowl￾edge in modern life sciences. From the end of the 20th century to the early 21st century, Chinese national publishing companies have translated and published a large number of textbooks and monographs dealing with each field of biotechnology, in￾cluding plant biotechnology, animal biotechnology, medi￾cine biotechnology, and environment biotechnology. The China 863 Biology High Tech Series consists of 14 books with a total investment of 500,000 RMB (about 62421.97 U. S. dollars), which have been compiled by dozens of national scientists who were called together by Science Press in China. The series has summarized the latest de￾velopment of the current life technology field and fore￾casted the development of biotechnology. According to incomplete statistics, 56 types of biotechnology books were compiled and published by Science Press only from 1998 to 2004, including 51 books about molecular biology, 24 books about genetics, 41 books about general biology, 38 books about biochemistry, and 22 books about cell biology. Among numerous books marked by biotechnol￾ogy, the earliest and most widely used books were Intro￾duction to Biotechnology, which was compiled by Siyang Song and Shilin Louin [35] and published in 1999, and Modern Biotechnology Outline, which was compiled by Lijia Qu, Hongya Gu, and Ping Hu [36]. The former was widely used in public courses in universities and was re￾edited respectively in 2001 and 2004 [28]. In addition, Chemical Industry Press also published the Modern Bio￾technology Series, especially the China Biotechnology In￾dustry Development Report (2002, 2003), which has re￾flected the current basic development status of China biotechnology and given impetus to the development of biotechnology education [29, 30]. FUNDING OF BIOTECHNOLOGY Since the establishment of the 863 program in 1986, biotechnology has been listed as a key project to be pursued in the science and technology area for three continuous Five-Year Plans (1986 –2000) from the seventh Five-Year Plan (1986 –1990) to the ninth Five-Year Plan (1996 –2000). (The first, second, third, forth, fifth, and sixth Five-Year Plans are from 1953 to 1957, 1958 to 1962, 1966 to 1970, 1971 to 1975, 1976 to 1980, and 1981 to 1985, respec￾tively.) The Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) also supports important basic research in biotechnology. For example, in the life science department of the NSFC Committee, molecular mechanism and gene regulation in development, structure and function of genome in eu- 145